Chapter 523

Book 1 Chapter 523

523.

While examining the Hero Dungeon, Mel looked utterly baffled when Damian suddenly materialized right in front of her.

‘What brings Lord Damian to the mortal realm? Furthermore, why on earth is he launching an assault against us?’

Regular mortals are under the impression that the champions who fought in the Cataclysm perished three millennia ago.

Yet Mel is fully aware that these figures have spent those three thousand years persisting in their endless combat within the world of heroes.

Melina had crossed paths with Damian firsthand within the domain of the Cataclysm.

Even though no words had been exchanged between them, Damian had undeniably set his eyes on Mel.

There was simply no way someone as illustrious as Damian would fail to remember Mel.

Mel rushed forward without hesitation.

“Lord Damian! There is absolutely no cause for you to strike at us…!”

Tighten!

As she cried out frantically, she noticed the prominent veins surfacing on Damian’s hand as his grip tightened around a gargantuan axe.

‘An attack is imminent…!’

Mel desperately released her magical energy.

BOOM!

The colossal battle-axe arced through the air.

A dark, overwhelming wave of energy erupted like a tidal wave, threatening to swallow Mel and the accompanying heroes.

The earth fractured and trembled violently.

While the surrounding heroes drew sharp breaths in sheer terror at the overwhelming sight.

CRASH!

A defensive shield composed of dark magic intercepted Damian’s strike.

Every eye shifted toward Mel.

“Behold, the might of the King of Wisdom…!”

“Incredible.”

The fact that Mel was actually a Dragon Lord had long been common knowledge among them.

The onlookers stood frozen in astonishment.

Under ordinary circumstances, Mel would have snapped back to question their remarks, but at this moment, she could not afford a single distraction.

Beads of cold perspiration rolled down her brow.

‘His reputation holds true; he is incredibly powerful.’

Drawing a deep breath, Mel hoisted her arm.

GLEAM!

Inky shadows erupted from the earth, wrapping themselves tightly around Damian.

RUMBLE! THUD!

Bound at his arms and legs, Damian was forced down onto his knees.

As Mel closed her fist, the constricting pressure weighing upon Damian intensified.

‘Forgive me, Lord Damian.’

The very instant that silent apology crossed her mind.

FLASH!

A brilliant golden radiance flared within Damian’s gaze.

ROAR!

The shadowy energy suddenly shifted, igniting into a blazing golden aura.

Mel clenched her jaw as she observed Damian becoming completely enveloped in a golden luster.

‘The divine might of Lord Dweno!’

Damian had once subjugated Dweno’s domain.

Because of this achievement, he stood as the rightful heir to Dweno’s abilities.

SNAP!

Damian reached out and seized the magical threads pinning him down.

Instantly, a sickening sensation resonated through Mel’s own hand.

Bracing herself, Mel channeled even greater energy into her spell.

SQUEEZE!

The binding force holding Damian grew tighter.

In response, Damian’s own physical output escalated to match it.

CRACK! SNAP!

Distressing noises began to echo from Mel’s hand, which maintained the link to the active spell.

As a dragon focused strictly on magical arts, Mel lacked the ability to manipulate aura.

Nonetheless, her fundamental nature remained that of a dragon.

Belonging to the most dominant species on earth, their innate muscular capability went far beyond anything a normal human could conceive.

Furthermore, Mel was the supreme Dragon Lord, making her the mightiest even among her kin.

There were precious few entities alive who could match her raw bodily power.

The specific spell she was utilizing was Shadow Prison.

This particular spell, devised by Licinas, scaled not just with raw mana but directly with the caster’s physical might.

Essentially, greater bodily strength translated to a massive multiplication of the spell’s efficacy.

Yet, despite encountering the monumental magical and muscular supremacy of a Dragon Lord, Damian managed to shatter Mel’s binding technique using nothing but unadulterated muscle.

CRUSH!

“Ah?!”

Mel winced, pulling her hand back as she retreated.

The shattering of the Shadow Prison sent a violent backlash that fractured the bones in her fingers.

Mel prepared to cast another spell.

Damian lunged directly at her.

Just then.

FLASH! BOOM!

A blinding streak of white lightning descended from above.

SPARK! SNAP!

Arriving on the scene was Leo, riding atop a Pegasus.

Leo assisted Kahl and Eliza, who had been traveling behind him, to step down.

Then he shifted his attention to Mel.

Catching his gaze, Mel gave a brief nod and addressed the crowd.

“All of you, retreat. To ensure no one else gets hurt, I am going to isolate this zone completely.”

“Attempting to hold back Lord Damian by yourself is far too dangerous!”

“The faculty and the remaining heroes will be here momentarily. If we combine our forces to suppress Lord Damian…”

“We are in no position to engage Lord Damian when we do not comprehend what has happened to him. The sole certainty is his current hostility toward us.”

Mel explained with composure.

“He is not merely the designated heir to Dweno, the heavenly artisan; he is the very warrior who suppressed the revived remnants of Erebus three millennia ago. Standing against an individual whose sheer capability eclipses that of military generals is beyond the capacity of the forces present in Lumeren. The resulting casualties would be catastrophic. Therefore, I shall take it upon myself to contain him.”

“But doing so by yourself…”

“I will not be solitary. Leo shall stand by my side. His status as a companion to a Pegasus will prove invaluable.”

The remaining champions found themselves unable to argue with her logic.

“Leo. I am counting on you.”

“Understood.”

A warm smile crossed Mel’s face at his confirmation, and she lifted her hand once more.

WHIRL!

Inky magical energy billowed outward from her form.

This was the unique capability derived from Licinas.

The dark forces radiating from Mel climbed into the sky, expanding to construct a gargantuan, dome-like barrier.

This enchantment was designed to completely isolate the interior from the external world.

From an outside perspective, the events taking place within became completely obscured.

Within the perimeter, only Leo, Mel, and Damian remained to face one another.

“Alright then.”

Leo fixed his eyes upon Damian.

“I have a single inquiry: what exactly are you?”

In response to Leo’s words, Damian shifted his weight lower, assuming an offensive stance.

Observing this movement, Leo squinted slightly.

He sensed a specific type of energy radiating from the opponent.

‘Could this be divine power?’

When Leo had previously summoned Seirun into the human realm for a brief period, no such holy energy had been required.

Distinct from entities like Luna and Arion, the warriors who endured the Cataclysm were actual living creatures.

In other words, they did not exist merely as historical imprints within the Hero’s World.

Because of this status, utilizing his own governance to tear open a gateway and manifest them was entirely feasible.

Yet, at this moment, an undeniable divine essence was coming from Damian.

‘Furthermore, the notion that he crossed over into this realm via holy energy is bizarre. The survivors of the Cataclysm possess no avenue to acquire divine power at present. And even if such a miracle occurred, utilizing it would be beyond them.’

“Hmph.”

Leo let out a soft breath.

In the meantime, Damian dropped even lower into his fighting posture.

Monitoring his adversary, Leo manifested a dimensional rift.

‘Perhaps I should gauge his capabilities first?’

CLANG!

Securing a fresh hold on his weapon, Damian sprinted forward.

Reaching into his storage rift, Leo extracted an equally enormous battle-axe.

SCREEECH!

Gripping the handle with both palms, he executed an upward slash starting from the earth.

A brutal strike that carved through the ground as it tore upward.

TEAR!

Metal clashed violently against metal.

A collision of monumental proportions.

For an instant, the very atmosphere surrounding the impact zone warped.

And shortly after…

BOOM!

The terrain beneath the feet of both Leo and Damian imploded as though struck by a falling star.

CRACKLE!

Fractures immediately snaked across the surfaces of both weapon heads.

SHATTER!

Overwhelmed by the monumental force exerted by the combatants, both axes burst into shards.

The concentrated energy detonated outward, propelling Leo backward through the air.

ROLL! THUD! CRASH!

Leo’s form bounced and skidded across the terrain repeatedly.

Executing a tactical roll to mitigate the momentum, Leo quickly reestablished his footing.

Still, the lingering momentum dragged his feet backward across the ground before he halted.

Letting out a chuckle, Leo glanced down at his throbbing palms.

“Fascinating. So you truly are the one who inherited Dweno’s legacy.”

Brushing off his palms, Leo listened as Mel called out to him anxiously.

“Lord Leo, are you unharmed?”

“I am perfectly well. However, it appears his raw physical might eclipses my own.”

Leo remarked, opening and closing his hands to restore circulation.

“Though the genuine article would undoubtedly possess far greater power.”

“Then this individual is an imitation?”

“Precisely.”

Mel had already harboured her own suspicions regarding this.

“He is a construct synthesized from the archives within the Hero Record. He lacks intellect or logic, driven purely by an unbridled urge to engage in combat.”

“How could such a phenomenon occur?”

“Hard to say. Perhaps the Hero Record is experiencing a severe malfunction. Regardless, leaving him unchecked would spell catastrophe. We must neutralize him immediately.”

Leo advanced toward the divine-energy construct of Damian.

‘What triggered the sudden manifestation of this entity? Has a corruption occurred within the Hero Record?’

Suppressing his doubts for the moment, Leo locked his concentration onto Damian.

‘A single lapse in focus will prove costly.’

Even as a mere replica, his combat prowess vastly exceeded that of the Knights of the Underworld whom Leo had previously overcome.

Squeezing his hand into a fist, Leo spoke.

“You are recognized as the heir of Dweno, correct?”

Blazing golden energy erupted around Leo’s silhouette.

This was the signature aura of Dweno.

“Let us find out just how resilient you truly are.”

Sensing Leo’s activation, Damian similarly manifested Dweno’s energy and braced for impact.

Deprived of armament, they would rely entirely on bare knuckles.

Such was the traditional martial philosophy of Dweno.

WHACK!

Darting forward, Leo threw a heavy punch.

THUD!

Damian’s head jolted backward as Leo’s fist connected cleanly with his jaw.

However, without a moment’s pause, he countered with a similarly devastating strike right to Leo’s countenance.

Leo shifted his head just slightly to absorb the impact.

“Impressive. You possess quite the constitution, don’t you? Let us see whose endurance reigns supreme.”

BANG!

A brutal hand-to-hand brawl between the Great Hero and the champion of the Cataclysm commenced.

BOOM! CRASH!

Deafening soundwaves vibrated through the air.

Every single strike packed sufficient force to fracture the skeletal structure of any ordinary warrior unfortunate enough to intercept it.

CRACK!

As the flurry of blows continued, fractures manifested within Damian’s protective energy layer.

In that precise instant, Damian’s momentum halted abruptly.

Seizing the opening, Leo drove his fist deep into Damian’s midsection.

EXPLOSION!

Damian’s figure was launched into the air before slamming violently onto the earth.

“Engaging in this sort of raw brawl isn’t exactly my preference.”

Cleaning away the crimson line from the edge of his lips, Leo expelled the remaining blood from his mouth.

It was Dweno who relished these raw, close-range scuffles.

Out of all the Great Heroes, Arion stood unrivaled in terms of purely physical engagements.

Yet when it came to an unrefined exchange of fists, none could rival Dweno.

“That stubborn old fellow. He was absurdly resilient.”

‘The collision of muscles! The communication of physical forms! Hand-to-hand combat is its own form of expression!’

Naturally, that incredible durability was simply an extension of his erratic creative mindset.

Reflecting on Dweno, Leo kept a vigilant watch over Damian.

‘He isn’t finished yet.’

This specific type of engagement proved troublesome because dealing a decisive, lethal injury was exceedingly difficult.

Particularly with a combatant of Damian’s caliber, it was obvious he would pick himself up immediately to resume the assault.

‘He is exceptionally durable. If this stretches into a battle of attrition, the odds might turn against me.’

Had Leo opted to employ armaments, sorcery, or conjuration arts, the confrontation would have concluded far more swiftly.

Furthermore, he could have secured a far safer tactical advantage.

Even so, Leo deliberately engaged in the exact style of combat where Damian excelled.

This happened to be the preferred sparring approach of Dweno.

‘He is evaluating us.’

Mel comprehended Leo’s intentions as she observed the duel.

Despite being a replica, the prowess Damian displayed was entirely authentic.

Perhaps down the road, they would cross paths with the true Great Heroes once more.

It was highly probable that encounters with the survivors of the Cataclysm would occur before long.

To ready himself for that eventuality, Leo sought to ascertain the caliber of the individuals recognized as the descendants of his old companions’ legacies.

So that he might eventually recount stories of these successors to the Great Heroes when they reunited.

To validate the champions of the Cataclysm as legitimate heirs on behalf of his comrades.

‘Rhodeia and Seirun proved themselves more than capable. Licinas and Luna would certainly be pleased to witness them. Damian, I am certain the same applies to you.’

Just as Leo allowed a smile to form and closed his hand into a tight fist.

SPARK! WHIRL!

Damian’s physical form began to destabilize and fluctuate rapidly.

Witnessing this sudden shift, Leo froze in place.

Before long, the shifting image of Damian, which kept dissolving and reforming, underwent a complete transformation.

Any trace of Damian’s appearance vanished entirely.

Present in his place was a beast-woman of canine lineage, draped in the pelt of a silver wolf.

JINGLE! CLINK!

She wore brief leather bottoms that left her legs bare.

Her torso was shielded by highly revealing leather armor that left her midriff, waist, and shoulders exposed.

Circular bands around her wrists and ankles clinked together with her every motion.

It was clothing entirely unsuited for a standard military engagement.

Even so, she was wrapped in a terrifying aura of combat that served as her true armor.

Her appearance conveyed an unyielding determination to tear through an army using nothing but her raw physical body.

Leo narrowed his gaze.

“Great Warrior.”

Azhonia smirked slightly, turning her gaze toward Leo.

Observing her expression, the truth dawned on Leo.

“I see. It appears I am not the only one conducting an examination here.”

Leo recalled individuals who took pleasure in evaluating others through such methods.

He had come across accounts of them within historical documents.

Not during their lifespans, but prior to their passing.

“A deity.”